Mumbai, October 26: IMB India MD Sandip Patel has warned employees against moonlighting or "taking gigs" without the company’s permission. An internal note was shared among the employees in which the IT giant discouraged them from moonlighting without following the firm's due process.

The note started off with the company explaining its stance. “At IBM, our stance has always been clear: we encourage every IBMer to bring their whole selves to work. Your passion – be it for art, dance, or music is celebrated here, and in that spirit, we’d love to see you pursue your interests,” the note said. The internal email further elaborated on company views on "moonlighting." What Is Moonlighting? Why Is Everyone Talking About It? Know Everything About the Practice Adopted Widely by Employees During Work From Home Culture.

According to IMB India's top boss, moonlighting is a violation of trust, and policy and it creates a potential conflict of interest. “The moonlighting concept can cause a lot of confusion if not clarified at a granular level,” Patel added. The note tried to explain how it is a breach of policy and a conflict of interest. “For example, as an individual, you may operate a small business, but if you spend your work time at IBM doing the same, it will conflict with your official duties to IBM. Another example would be you working with competitors in the market over weekends; even though you do so in personal time. It is still a conflict and in breach of your employment obligations,” the note explained. Wipro Terminates 300 Employees for Moonlighting With Rival Firms.

In the note, the MD stressed how moonlighting is a violation of the trust of the company. He added, “However, if you advance a personal interest, whether directly or indirectly, at the expense of IBM’s interests, it is treated as a serious conflict of interest and a violation of trust.” "IBM’s policy is also fundamentally important to the trust our clients place in IBM when they entrust us with the transformation, access, and management of critical commercial assets, including their data and systems,” the note added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 26, 2022 02:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).